Back & Neck Pain

The following are the most common symptoms associated with back and neck pain. It’s a good idea to visit with your doctor if you’re experiencing any of these:

• Dull, burning or sharp pain in your back. The pain can be confined to a single spot or cover a large area.
• Stiffness or achiness that occurs anywhere along your spine (from your neck to your tailbone).
• Sharp, shooting pain that radiates from your low back to your buttocks, down the back of your thigh, and into your calf and toes.
• Consistent ache in the middle or lower part of your back, especially after standing or sitting for an extended period.
• Headaches
• Shoulder pain
• Sharp shooting pains or a dull aches in your neck.

The following are symptoms that shouldn’t be ignored. If you experience these, contact your doctor right away:

• Loss of bladder and bowel control
• Weakness in both legs
• Severe back or neck pain that does not decrease with medication and rest
• Pain after an injury or a fall
• Weakness, numbness, or tingling in your legs or arms
• Unintentional weight loss

If you’re suffering from neck or back pain, you should see your doctor for a medical and physical exam. He or she may also perform tests to get a complete view of what’s going on in your neck and back. Tests may include:

• X-Ray: Uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of internal tissues, bones, and organs onto film.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): This procedure uses large magnets, radiofrequencies and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within your body. The MRI also creates images of your soft tissues such as ligaments, tendons and blood vessels. The MRI could lead to a diagnosis of infection, tumor, inflammation, or pressure on your nerves.
• Blood Tests: Useful in diagnosing arthritis, a condition that can cause back and neck pain.

Specific treatment for your back and/or neck pain will be determined by your doctor based on the cause of the pain, your age, overall health, medical history, the extent of the disease and your tolerance for specific medications, procedures or therapies. Of course, your personal opinions and preferences will also be taken into consideration. Non-surgical treatments are usually the most appropriate, but if surgery is necessary, you’re in the best possible hands with the elite team of surgeons at INTEGRIS. The main goal is to fix the root cause of the pain – not simply mask it.

Non-surgical Treatment Options

• Medication
• Decompression
• Exercise Programs
• Physical Therapy
• Trigger Point Injections
• Work-Strengthening Programs
• Massage Therapy
• Interventional Pain Management

Pain Management Techniques

• Exercise Programs: To improve range of motion, increase muscle strength, improve flexibility and mobility, and increase endurance.
• Assistive Devices: We’ll help find the right assistive devices that allow you to be more independent.
• Education and Counseling: For both the patient and family.
• Diagnostic and Therapeutic Neural Block Procedures
• Epidural Steroid Injections
• Nerve Blocks
• Sympathetic Blocks
• Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation
• Gait (Walking) and Movement Retraining
• Stress Management
• Nutritional Counseling
• Ergonomic Assessments
• Work-Related Injury Prevention Programs

Advanced Surgical Approaches

• Artificial Disc Replacement
• Anterior Cervical Discectomy
• Bone Graft Spine Fusion
• Kyphoplasty and Vertebroplasty
• Posterior Lumbar Discectomy
• Posterior Lumbar Decompression/Laminectomy
• Spine Fusion (Anterior and Posterior)
• Reconstructive Surgery